New Rio de Flag Monarch Butterfly Waystation

Tristan Meriwether and David McKee celebrate Tristan’s completion of a monarch butterfly way station.

Congratulations to Tristan Meriwether on completing his Eagle Scout Service Project! Tristan’s project requirements included planning, developing and implementing a service beneficial to his community. Tristan took on a large scale project of creating a Monarch Butterfly Waystation.

The City of Flagstaff built a large earthen embankment with the material removed from the restoration of Frances Short Pond. This embankment serves as a buffer between the fire department training center and the Rio de Flag. Tristan started out by recruiting fellow scouts, friends and family to first complete extensive grading work to naturalize the earthwork then prepare it for planting. He learned first about invasive weeds and proper techniques for stabilization to prevent erosion. Tristan then worked with the city and local native nurseries to obtain the proper seeds and plants for the waystation. As Tristan learned, this includes a full spectrum of plants that provide breeding habitat as well as fuel for their migration. The Southwest Monarch Study website provided a specialized list adapted for high elevation waystations.

Tristan also learned that native plants can take a long time to become established (often a couple years). The great news was that we saw plenty of starts and the grasses were already coming up and outcompeting much of the invasive weed population and stabilizing the slopes and denuded areas. We are all looking forward to visiting the site after a full year of growth.

Great Job Tristan!

Waystations have been completed in the Verde Valley and at the Flagstaff Arboretum. To learn more about the Monarch Butterfly Waystation project and how you can create one in your community or right at home visit the Southwest Monarch Study.